The Productive Pessimist

  " Woke" is an appropriated term that, like most appropriated things, has been completely altered from what it originally meant. Originally used by African-Americans to communicate the warning that "unexplained" deaths of African-Americans were almost certainly the result of white violence and racial intolerance, the invocation to "stay woke" was a gesture of concern and compassion, a reminder that the world was not a safe place for people whose faces didn't fit. It still isn't a safe place for anyone who is visibly "different" - no matter ho w subtle that visibility is: from the size and shape of a nose to an accent, from the spelling of a name to the texture of a curl. From someone's height to the pitch of their voice, from the way they hold themselves, move, or speak, to the amount of support from others they need to manage day to day life. No w, ho wever, " woke" has been appropriated by the Left to mean "having...

  End of the road for economic growth in the UK? The UK government - and most Western European governments - hyperfixate on economic growth  as a measure of political success: If growth is strong, the claim goes, then the government of the day are doing things right, regardless of how popular their policies are with the public.  If growth slows, the government has clearly made the wrong decision, and needs to alter course, and prove that they deserve  to be in charge. This is something that has become a sacred truth in government.  "This will destroy  growth!"  "This risks crashing  UK growth prospects!" have become ever-more aggressive reactions to policy suggestions from opposing parties, or individual politicians.  Initially, I assumed this was deliberate fear-mongering; because the public associates "economic growth" with " my  individual life improving, me as an individual  having more money for less work, and everything gettin...

  The Bank of England is expressing significant concerns about Britain's "ageing and ailing workforce", harmonising to the government's tune of how the long-term sick are responsible for the UK economic challenges, and how "necessary" raising the State pension age is. Those two songs have been a more or less constant refrain from various shades of UK governments since 1997 - almost 30years.  Pretty much my whole life, and the entirety of my life as someone old enough to vote. Of course, work is necessary.  Countries have essential core services which require vast workforces to provide and administrate. Governments should be generating national income by exporting from the manufacturing, STEM, creative, and knowledge economy sectors, all of which require their own skilled and specialist workforces, and the workforce of their respective administrative and marketing functions. Continuous income, to cover the unavoidable payment lags in exports, is necessary fo...

  "If women want equality, it's fine if I punch you, then?" "Why should I give up my seat for a pregnant woman? They wanted equality, after all!" "Equality means she  should be doing a proper day's work, too, not lounging around scrolling socials all day!" These are all common retorts against the equality that is legally enforced to the benefit of cisgender, able-bodied, mentally well women (and which is often more readily and fully given to white  women in those categories.) The perception of the Left is that this is "proof that men just want to be violent." And some men - and some women, and some non-binary folk - undoubtedly do. The possibility of being an objectionable piece of sh*t who wants to harm others, and make irresponsible choices, is a fundamental aspect of being human, which is why the consequences  of irresponsible and anti-social choices should never be weakened or removed. For many others, though, their discomfort with th...

  The current trend of advice and focus, particularly financial advice and focus, is "sacrifice, go all in on work, work, work, save and invest through your 20s and 30s, which is the best decades of your life  for compound growth! so you can have an absolutely amazing retirement, with enough money to do everything you want, and not worry  about money, because there won't be social security!" This feeds into a wider toxic focus of positioning work as "the thing that exists in opposition to the life we deserve  to live."  In reality, work is part of  life.  Retirement  is actually the thing that exists in opposition to life. The vision that's being sold is "if you sacrifice all fun and socialising, and just grind through your 20s and 30s, you'll get to have this wonderful, rewarding retirement" - but the reality is, many of us will not be in good enough health by the time we reach our 60s or 70s to actually do  much of anything.  Many of u...

  Today, I attended a webinar on "Capability and Ill-health in the Workplace".  It was hosted by a corporate insurer who provides HR consultancy services. Those attending were business leaders and HR representatives, and the Q&A at the end made it clear they believed they were only in a "room" with other  leaders and HR reps. Their attitudes around long-term ill health and disability were immediately presented as: . This is an intolerable and ridiculous burden to us as employers . This is too expensive . These people are taking the piss . It's not going to be fair to able-bodied people who have to pick up their slack. This is also the attitude I've personally, directly  encountered as someone trying to work whilst also being disabled.  It's the attitude that lost me my last job - a job I mostly enjoyed, and a role I'd hoped to build a career from. Employers. HATE. Disabled. And. Chronically. Ill.  Employees. They do not  want to employ disabled p...